Target stand



May 26, 1942. c. w. cA-'rss i TARGET *STAND* Filed may 2s, 1941 May 26, 1942. c. w. cAfrEs TARGET STANDl Filed May A28, 1941 Patented May 26, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of target stand for indoor or outdoor shooting galleries, and more particularly to a target stand having means for turning the target holding frame for swinging a target disposed therein from a position-facing to the front to a position at right angles or edgewise thereof.

It is a particular aim of the invention to provide a target stand for shooting galleries having means operated from a position remote to the target stand for swinging the target from a position facing the marksman to a position at right angles thereto to provide means whereby the stand may be used for competitive rapid re shooting wherein the contestants are allowed only la certain amount of time for ring a certain number of shots at the target, and so that when the period expires the target can be swung to a position in which it cannot be hit by the marksmen.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a battery of target holding stands having common operating means for swinging all of the targets simultaneously into positions facing a number of marksmen or into positions crosswise thereof so that a number of marksmen may re simultaneously in rapid re competition and with the assurance that each marksman will have exactly the same amount of time to fire a given number of shots with the target facing him.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a target stand of simple construction wherein all the operating Vparts are concealed within or behind the tubular standard to protect the parts from stray bullets to eliminate the necessity of having to provide a barricade in front of the target stand.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein*- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a target stand constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing two of the target stands arranged side by side,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure l,

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View 55 taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of a part of the upper portion of the target stand, taken substantially along a plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 3, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the target stand taken substantially along a plane indicated by the line I-'I of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the diiferent views, I0 designates generally the target stand in its entirety constructed in accordance with the invention, having a base, designated generally II, and including three angle iron members I2, one of which, as best seen in' Figure 2, is ar ranged erosswse in front of the stand I!) and the other two of which project rearwardly therefrom in converging relationship relatively to one another. The three angle iron members I2 are connected together in any suitable manner, as by means of welding, and each is provided with a horizontal side I3 and an upright side I4. The horizontal sides I3 are adapted to rest on a suitable supporting surface as indicated by the line I5 in Figure l, and are adapted to be secured thereto by fastenings I6 extending through the sides I3. An upright tubular standard I'I has its lower end disposed in the opening formed by the three members I2, which opening is sized to snugly receive the lower end of the standard I1 which is secured therein in any suitable manner as by means of welding, as indicated at I8.

The standard I1 is provided with an open upper end in which is mounted a cup shaped member I9 having a flange 20 at its upper end which rests on the upper end of the standard I'I for supporting the cup shaped member I9 therein. The cup shaped member I9 contains anti-friction roller bearing means 2l and is provided with a centrally disposed opening 22 in the bottom thereof. A shaft 23 extends through the opening 22 and is provided with a crosshead 24 at its upper end, which is disposed above the upper end of the standard I1. The crosshead 24 is provided with a depending socket 25 which engages the upper end of the shaft 23 and which is secured thereto by means of a pin 26, as best seen in Figure S. The lower portion of the socket 25 is reduced in diameter and engages the antifriction bearing means 2l. A cap 2l is mounted on the upper end of the standard I1 and is held in place thereon, by means of a set screw 28, and engages the flange ZI) -for holding the cup shaped member I9 positioned in the upper end of the standard |1. The cap 21 is provided with an opening 29 in its top through which the restricted portion of the socket 25 projects and the enlarged upper portion of the `socket 25 combines with its restricted lower portion to form an annular shoulder 38 which rests on top of the cap 21 to prevent downward sliding movement of the shaft 23 relatively to the standard |1.

Any conventional type of target holding frame 3| may be detachably connected by means of nut and bolt fastenings 32 to the crosshead 24 and supported thereby above the standard I1. The target holding frame 3|, as illustrated, includes a base portion 33 and upright end portions 34 which portions 33 and 34 are provided with communicating grooves 35, as seen in Figure 2, for engaging edge portions of a target 36 which is ,thereby removably supported in and above the target holding frame 3|,

Referring particularly to Figures 3 and 5, a bearing 31 is removably mounted in the standard `|1, near its lower end. The standard l1 is provided with a drilled opening 38 which registers with a drilled recess 39 in the bearing 31 for receiving a set screw 48 for removably securing the bearing 31 in the standard |1. The shaft 23 is journaled near its lower end in the bearing 31 which is provided with a radial passage 4| which extends from the bore or opening 42 into the inner end of the recess 33. The set screw 40 is provided with a longitudinal bore 43 which combines with the recess 39 and passage 4| to provide a lubricating port for the bearing 31. The outer end of this lubricating port is equipped with a grease tting 44 which is removably mounted in the outer end of the bore 43.

A sleeve 45 is keyed to the shaft 23 and engages the lower end of the bearing 31 to prevent the shaft 23 from sliding upwardly relatively to the standard |1. As seen in Figure 7, sleeve 45 is detachably connected to the shaft 23 by set screws 46. vThe standard |1 is provided with a horizontally disposed elongated slot or opening 41 through which extends an arm 48 which is connected to the sleeve 45. A perpendicular barrel 49 is also connected to the sleeve 45 and is provided with an internally threaded lower end for receiving a plug 56 which forms a stop for an expansion coil spring which is disposed in the barrel 49. A ball shaped plunger 52 is mounted in the upper end of the barrel 49 and is urged upwardly by the spring 5|. The bearing 31 is provided with an arcuately shaped groove 53 in its underside in which the ball shaped plunger 52 seats and against which it frictionally engages to prevent the shaft 23 from turning freely in the standard |1.

As seen in Figure 4, the front member |2, of

the base l, is provided at one end thereof withy a rearwardly extending bracket 54 which is provided with an upwardly projecting stud 55 on which a bell crank 56 is pivotally mounted at its apex. One arm 51 of the bell crank 56 is pivotally connected at its free end to an end of a link 58, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected at 59 to the free end of the arm 48. The other arm 66 of the bell crank 56 has a wire 6| attached to its Vfree end. Wire 6|, as seen in Figures 2 and 4, extends forwardly from the target stand to any remote position, not shown,l where it can be operated manually for turning the bell crank 56 in a clockwise direction, as

tractile coil spring 62 is attached at one end thereof to the arm 51, adjacent its free end, and is anchored at its opposite end to the base for normally urging thebell crank 56 to turn in a counterclockwise direction.

The slot 41 is of suicient length to permit the arm 48 to swing through an arc of approximately degrees so as to cause the shaft 23 to turn one-quarter of a revolution. When the arm 48 is in the position, as seen in Figures 4 and 7, the target holding frame 3| will be parallel with the front of the stand I0 so that the target 36 will be facing a marksman, not shown, located somewhere in front of the stand I0. By pulling on the wire or cable 6| the arm 48 will be turned, as previously explained, in a clockwise direction through the bell crank and link connection 56 and 58 until it moves from engagement with one end of the opening 41 to engagement with the opposite end thereof which will constitute a swing of ysubstantially 90 degrees to thereby turn the shaft through an arc of 90 degrees to swing the target holding frame 3| and the target 36 to a position at right angles to its position of Figure 1, or crosswise to the front of the stand I6. When the cable 6| is released the spring 62 will cause the parts to swing in a counterclockwise direction until the arm 48 strikes the rst mentioned end of the slot 41, as seen in Figure '1, at which time the target holding frame 3| and target 36 will have been returned lto their original positions of Figure 1, parallel to the front of the stand I8. It will thus be seen that the target stand I0 is adapted for use for rapid nre or time shooting where the marksman is given a certain period of time to fire a certain number of shots at the target 36. The target 36 is disposed edgewise to the marksman and the cable is then released to allow the target 36 to swing to a position facing the marksman in which position it is left for the prescribed time interval so that the marksman can fire at the target. When the time interval has elapsed, by pulling on the cable 6| the target 36 is moved to a position edgewise of the marksman again so that he can no longer nre at the target.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a battery of target stands I8 may be arranged in a row and the arms 48 of each target stand connected by a common link 58 to the arm 51 of the bell crank 56 so that all of the targets 36 will be simultaneously swung to positions facing the marksmen or edgewise thereto, so that a number of marksmen may shoot in competition simultaneously and so that each marksman will have exactly the same amount of time to re at his target. The operation of the battery of target stands I6 will be identical with that of a single stand I8.

Various modications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

l. A target holder for shooting galleries, cornprising a battery of target stands arranged in a straight row, each of said target stands including an upright tubular standard, a shaft journaled in the standard and projecting from the upper end thereof, a target holding frame attached to the upper end of each standard, and manually operated means connecting the shafts of each standard and actuated by a common operator element for turning said shafts simultaneously for swinging the target holding frames from positions in alinement with one another and with the front of the battery of target stands to positions crosswise thereof, bearing means for journaling each of said shafts in the standards, adjacent the ends of said shafts, said bearing means including a bearing for the upper end of each shaft, said bearing including a cup shaped support mounted in the upper end of the standard and through which the shaft of said standard extends, said cup shaped support being provided with a hanged upper end resting on the upper end of the standard, and a cap mounted on the upper end of said standard for retaining said upper bearing in position therein.

2. A target holder for shooting galleries, comprising a battery of target stands arranged in a straight row, each of said target stands including an upright tubular standard, a shaft journaled in the standard and projecting from the upper end thereof, a target holding frame attached to the upper end of each standard, and manually operated means connecting the shafts of each standard and actuated by a common operator element for turning said shafts simultaneously for swinging the target holding frames from positions in alinement with one another and with the front of the battery of target stands to positions crosswise thereof, a bearing removably mounted in the lower portion of each standard for journaling the lower end of the shaft thereof, said bearings each being provided with an arcuately shaped groove in one side thereof, and a spring projected plunger connected to each of said shafts for engaging the groove and bearing for frictionally retaining the shaft in adjusted positions.

3. A target stand comprising a substantially upright tubular standard, a shaft journaled therein and disposed longitudinally thereof, one end of said shaft projecting outwardly of the upper end of the standard and being adapted to support a target, a cup mounted in the upper end of the standard and having a flange, at its upper end, resting on the upper end of the standard to support the cup therein, bearing means supported in the cup, and a cap detachably secured to the upper end of the standard for retaining the cup therein, said shaft extending through and being rotatably mounted in the cup, bearing means and cap.

4. A target stand as in claim 3, a bearing mounted in the lower part of the standard for journaling the lower end of the shaft, said last mentioned bearing having an arcuately shaped groove in one side thereof, and a spring projected plunger connected to the shaft for frictionally engaging the groove and bearing to hold the shaft in adjusted positions.

5. A target stand comprising a tubular standard, a shaft journaled therein and disposed longitudinally thereof, one end of said shaft projecting outwardly of an end of the standard and being adapted to support a target, a bearing disposed in the standard for journaling the opposite end of the shaft, said bearing being provided with an arcuately shaped groove in one side. thereof, and a spring projected plunger connected to said shaft for yieldably engaging the groove and bearing for frictionally retaining the shaft in adjusted positions.

CARL W, CATES. 

